The present invention relates to a compact valve/mill arrangement, in which a mill is at least partially integrated into a valve.
In the current process for producing granulates, mills are used to eliminate irregularities in the particle sizes with respect to the maximum grain size and/or to give moist granulates a structure. As a result, follow-up processes can be optimized or made possible. In the case of dry granulates, these follow-up processes include exemplarily grain size reduction for the tableting process; whereas in the case of moist granulates, said processes include grain size reduction in order to dry the moist granulates faster or to give structure to the same for improving the drying, flow and/or metering characteristics thereof. In the prior art, these mills are added on to machines and apparatuses for producing these granulates as ancillary equipment. Because these machines have been developed and built for a closed batch operation, said machines are furnished with closeable discharge and filling openings. Due to the material properties and the process requirements, these apparatuses are constructed and operated such that explosion risks are reduced to a minimum and the effects thereof do not constitute a risk for persons in the proximity of the machine.
The use of these mills enlarges the structural height of the machines as well as the space requirements in general because said mills are equipped with separate carrier devices for pivoting the mill into the operating position thereof or to bring it into a service position.